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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — in control
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kid — to tease
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — final
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — child
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com